10th May

On 10th May 1346, John de Manby and Eobert de Seton, both of Beverley, were convicted before the king at Nottingham of the death of Adam Coppendale, merchant of Beverley, at Barton on Humber.

On 10th May 1377, King Edward III’s parliament issued a statute pardoning the Mayor and town of Hull. I have not found what the pardon was for, and Edward was very ill at the time, and died in June.

On 10th May 1527, Thomas Richerdson, husbandman of Lockington, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for debt.

On 10th May 1595, the Howden churchwardens ‘paid to the lame soldiers by the Chief Constable warrant 21s8d’.

On 10th May 1707, Hull-born Dr Thomas Watson, Bishop of St David’s made proposals to contribute to the cost of rebuilding almshouses in North Church Side, Hull. Later correspondence indicated that he wished to influence the rules by which they were to be managed.

On 10th May 1854, William Marshall’s flax mill at Patrington was burnt down, throwing 100 people out of work.

On 10th May 1866, asked the town council to cover a foul ditch where sewage collected in pools; the ditch remained open. Hedon had suffered badly from cholera in 1849. The ditch was not covered until 1873.

On 10th May 1910, Robt R. Leonard & Son sold at auction the effects of the Hull Racecourse Company, including luxury furniture and fittings from the grandstand, and grounds equipment. The racecourse was at Twyers land, Preston South.

On 10th May 1946, Maureen Lipman was born in Hull.  TV and film actor, stage performer, and writer, CBE. Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Hull in 1994.

 

 

April 27th

On 27th April 1314, King Edward II stayed in Beverley on his way to fight the Scots at Bannockburn.

On 27th April 1681, John Baker, pewterer, known as ‘the Protestant tinker’ and a chamberlain of Hull, was working for the Ordnance Office to look into the misappropriation of lead, timber and other materials for use in Hull North Blockhouse. He alleged that materials had been delivered to the houses of the Governor (Bellasis) and the Lieutenant-Governor (Gilby). The Privy Council ordered Hull council to prosecute Baker for spreading false news.

On 27th April 1759, Mary Wollstonecraft was born in Spitalfields, London. Feminist writer and mother of Mary Shelley, she lived in Beverley for 6 years, aged 9-15.

On 27th April 1821, the Spurn lifeboat crew were assaulted while loading gravel for the Lord of the Manor, Francis Sheldon Constable, by local men who wanted to share the income from this work.

On 27th April 1918, former Reckitt’s employee Private Richard Wilson, 42, died on active service with 942ndArea Employment Co Labour Corps. He is buried in Rouen, France.

Mary Wollstonecraft

April 10th

On 10th April 1694, John Roxby  & Thomas Spicer (Ferriby) and Peter Acy and Samuel Newton (Swanland) were chosen as parish Overseers for the Highways, (Ferriby and Swanland being in the same parish, but choosing separate officers). On the same date, Overseers of the Poor chosen were Paull Wollas and Wm Jefferson (Ferriby) and Robt Parker and Christopher Boynton (Swanland).

On 10th April 1733, Thomas Pelling, the “Flying Man’, set up a tightrope between Pocklington church steeple and the Star Inn, and fell to his death; he is buried in the churchyard.

On 10th April 1956, Paul Robeson, singer, actor and political activist, performed at Hull City Hall to an audience of 2,000. Publicity described him as ‘the world’s greatest negro actor, singer and film star’.

Paul Robeson

March 14th

On 14th March 1293, as part of the process of creating his new port of Kingston upon Hull, King Edward I had Myton valued, at £24 8s a year, including 2 windmills, a grange, a sheep farm, arable land and 2 areas called Southwick and Milnwick.  He purchased lands in both Wyke and Myton from Meaux Abbey, but it took many years before they were content that they had been suitably repaid.

On 14th March 1471, during the Wars of the Roses, King Edward IV landed about 2,000 men at Ravenspurn when a storm drove them into the Humber for shelter. Some ships landed as far west as Paull.

On 14th March 2013, Norman Collier died aged 87. Comedian, famed for TV stand-up routines, including the ‘faulty mic’. (b 25.12.1925 in Grotto Square, Mason Street, Hull)

normancollier

March 8th

On 8th March 1517, Thomas Tode, cutler, of Beverley, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for theft.

On 8th March 1517, Thomas Stokell, 19, boatsteerer on the Hull whaler Three Brothers, received a certificate of protection from impressment, certifying that he was a seaman having completed 3 voyages in the Greenland Trade and could not by law be pressed into the Navy.

On 8th March 1897, Kathleen Mary Margaret Bryant was born in Hull. As actor Margot Bryant, she played many parts on stage and screen, but won fame at the age of 63 in the role of Minnie Caldwell on Coronation Street (on left in photo). died 1.1.88

On 8th March 1939, George H. Newton, 2ndengineer, and 8 other crewmen, were lost when the returning Hull trawler Lady Jeanette grounded on a sandbank on her way into dock.

Margot Bryant

March 4th

On 4th March 1666, Edward Grey, Mayor of Beverley, and Robert Hildyard were in correspondence with the Mayor of Hull about plague in North Frodingham and the precautions taken in Beverley against infection; a week later, they sent a certificate that North Frodingham was clear of infection.

On 4th March 1752, Elizabeth Plaxton paid for 4 brass chandeliers to be installed in the choir of Holy Trinity, Hull, at a cost of £100.

On 4th March 1791, Sarah Metcalfe, originally of Hull, died in Humbleton aged 45. No cause of death is given; she was the mother of 13 children, 4 of which died in their infancy.

On 4th March 1903, Dorothy Mackaill was born in Newstead Street, Hull. She became a stage actor in London and Paris before moving to Broadway and, in 1920, making her first film. In 1932 she starred with Humphrey Bogart in “Love Affair’, and retired 5 years later, though she did return to acting on TV. She died aged 87 (12.8.1990)

On 4th March 1908, Cornelius O’Kelly, PC 249, later Olympic gold medallist, was one of 4 police fire officers injured when a 20ft wall collapsed during a fire at Frank Soulsby’s saw mill, Thomas Street, Hull. Unable to work for 27 days, he received £5 15s8d from his employer’s liability assurance. (and see 3.11)

dorothy-mackaill

 

March 1st

On 1st March 1384, Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, left in his will instructions to found the Charterhouse Hospital which his father had begun, and endowed it with land, nominating Sir Richard de Killing as the first Master, and left money to support 13 poor men and 13 poor women, feeble and old.

On 1st March 1838, the steam packet ferry services from Hull to Selby, Goole and Gainsbrough were restored, after severe frosts disrupted them from the 2ndweek in January.

On 1st March 1916,  a new Royal Flying Corps Squadron, the No 47 Home Defence Squadron, was formed at Beverley, on the racecourse site.

On 1st March 1921, Kenny Baker was born  in Withernsea. Musician and composer, considered the best British trumpeter, 3 times winner of best jazz trumpet player award, he played for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, the Beatles, and on TV and film soundtracks, including James Bond scores, The Muppet show, and ‘The Beiderbecke Trilogy’. (died 7.12.1999) see photo

On 1st March 1990, Sister Agnes Walsh was recognised by Yad Vashem as one of 27 British people known as Righteous Among the Nations for her part in protecting Jews during the Holocaust. Trapped in France when the country was occupied by the Nazis, she gave refuge to a local Jewish family in spite of being in grave danger herself as a foreigner. She was born Clare Walsh in Hull in 1896 (died 1993).

Kenny Baker

 

February 26th

On 26th February 1381, Archbishop of York Alexander Neville announced his intention to visit Beverley, provoking a mass walk-out of Beverley clergy, most going to Lincoln or London. Neville replaced them with vicars choral from York but failed in his power struggle.

On 26th February 1552, Sir Michael Stanhope was executed on Tower Hill, London, for instigating rebellion, and conspiring to murder John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. Stanhope was a Nottinghamshire knight, twice Governor of Hull, where the townspeople complained to the Privy Council of his high-handedness. He also acquired a great deal of land after the Dissolution, including in Sutton-on-Hull.

On 26th February 1671, Robert Constable, Viscount Dunbar of Burton Constable, was indicted at Middlesex Sessions Court with the murder of Peter Varnall and confessed. Hi accomplices were Peter Savage and John Fennick. It seems that Varnall was the innocent victim of young aristos on a drunken spree.

On 26th February 1869, Christopher Sykes, MP for the East Riding of Yorkshire, moved the Bill which later in the year became the Sea Birds Preservation Act, supported by Rev HF Barnes-Lawrence of Bridlington. Up to 232,000 seabirds and eggs were killed, often shot for sport, each breeding season. This earned Sykes the nickname ‘The Gulls’ Friend’. See cartoon below.  Link is to film of ‘climmers’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5ynIfnmVK0

On 26th February 1903, Martin Samuelson, marine engineer, died at Hessle, aged 78. Owner of Martin Samuelson & Co, of Neptune Street, Hull, and later Sammy’s Point, who built hydraulic presses, steel boilers and early steel vessels, and the North Bridge. Hull councillor from 1853, Sheriff 1857, Mayor 1858, first colonel of Royal East Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery and JP. (born 2.1.1825 in Liverpool).

On 26th February 1914, the Coverdale family of Hollym played a football match against another family with 11 sons, the Charlesworths of Scunthorpe. The Coverdales won 3: 0.

On 26th February 1935, Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as T.E.Shaw, (‘Lawrence of Arabia’) left Bridlington when discharged from the RAF; he had been supervising armour-plating power launches for target practice. Whilst in Bridlington, he had lived at the Ozone Hotel, Bridlington (now Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club). There is a sundial dedicated to him in South Cliff Gardens.

On 26th February 1942, Pilot F/Sgt Reginald Francis Robb and 5 crew of Wellington bomber Z8536 took off from RAF Pocklington and crash landed at Yapham due to an engine fire. They jettisoned their bombs, but were caught in the blast and all the crew were lost. 4 are buried in Barmby Moor.

Christopher Sykes MP

February 2nd

On 2nd February 1141, during the Anarchy, William of Aumale, Lord of Holderness and Earl of York led part of the cavalry protecting King Stephen, but were overrun by the Welsh and fled. The King was captured, and Matilda took the throne for a time. William remained loyal to Stephen.

On 2nd February 1786, Revd T.O. Rogers Hull opened the new Trinity House School with 36 pupils.

On 2nd February 1799, Capt Henry Gunter RN was in charge of HMS Nautilus when she was wrecked in a storm Off Flamborough Head; all the crew survived. She was leading a convoy of 22 merchantmen returning from the Baltic; one of the other ships was also wrecked.

On 2nd February 1801, Hull Trinity House paid relief of £1 1s to 4 seamen who had escaped from captivity in Russia.

On 2nd February 1925, David Whitfield was born in Hull. A popular singer, he was the first UK male vocalist to earn a gold disc, and the first British artiste to reach No 1 simultaneously in the US and the UK. Commemorated by a statue outside the New Theatre. d 16.1.1980

David Whitfield